GSB Booster Club Newsletter: Fall 2012 by Gill St. Bernard's School

FALL 2012 EDITION

Athletic News The Booster Club was formed in the spring of 2003 to support GSB Athletics both financially and by encouraging school spirit. For more information about the Booster Club, contact David Pasquale, athletic director, at 908-234-1611, ext. 221.

A NOTE FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR In this issue of the Booster Club Newsletter you will read about the wonderful accomplishments of our fall student-athletes and coaches who have begun the 2012-13 academic year in fine fashion. Varsity boys’ soccer had a season for the ages, earning sectional, conference, and prep championships. In cross country, the varsity girls won another Prep B title and the boys had their best finish ever at the Non Public Group Championships. Both teams were well represented at the Meet of Champions. Girls’ tennis went undefeated in conference play and secured a sectional title for the first time since 2007. And girls’ soccer fought through significant injuries to key players and emerged with its fourth consecutive winning season. Most of our teams were also quite competitive at the JV and middle school levels, where younger student-athletes honed their skills in preparation for varsity level competition. With that said, I would like to offer one final congratulations to our coaches and athletes on a remarkable 2011-12 campaign. September 10, 2012 was a special day in Peapack-Gladstone, as executives from ShopRite and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) were on campus to present the “ShopRite Cup” to Gill St. Bernard’s as having the most accomplished Non Public athletic program in the state. Collective success over all three seasons and impeccable sportsmanship in all programs were taken into account, as the NJSIAA annually honors only six of its 450 member schools. Finally, please join me in thanking Megan Zakrzewski, our new communications specialist, for putting together her first of many Booster Club newsletters. Happy New Year from all of us in the GSB Athletic Department. We hope that you’ll find some time to catch our teams in action this winter.

Athletic Booster Club President Dick Emmitt P ’02 Receives 2012 Lindabury-Thomas Trustee Award An award that formally recognizes and thanks past or Honorary Trustees who have made outstanding contributions to the school, Gill St. Bernard’s third annual Lindabury-Thomas Trustee Award was presented to Honorary Trustee Richard “Dick” Emmitt P ’02 this past October. Emmitt, who has become a profound and permanent figure within the Gill St. Bernard’s community over the past decade, Continued on page 3

(L. to r.) Meg Emmitt ’02 with her father—the winner of GSB’s third annual Lindabury-Thomas Trustee Award—Dick Emmitt following a Bucknell women’s soccer game.

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

Spirited Pep Rally Leads to Homecoming Victories The entire GSB community kicked off Homecoming weekend with a pep rally in the Athletic Center on September 28. Aside from unveiling the school’s 2012 “ShopRite Cup” banner, the rally also created excitement for the next day’s 13 Middle School, junior varsity and varsity games. Gill St. Bernard’s Middle and Upper School athletic teams played extremely well on Homecoming/Family Day, winning 11 out of 13 contests. Beginning the day in fine fashion was the Middle School’s boys’ soccer, girls’ tennis, and coed cross country teams, who defeated local rival Rutgers Prep. Two of the Knights’ three junior varsity teams were also victorious, as JV girls’ tennis defeated the Argonauts 6-0 and JV boys’ soccer won 5-0.

finishes were also posted by Sahara Ensley ’16 (12th/21:28), Rebecca Richardson ’14 (14th/22:10) and Natalia Sachs ’13 (20th/23:18). Also garnering a 2012 Prep B Championship title was GSB’s varsity boys’ soccer team, which defeated Newark Academy 2-1 in double overtime to claim its first outright independent school Prep B Championship since 1997. James Reiner ’14 scored off a pass from Jae Wong ’13 three minutes into second overtime for the win. Jack Lowe ’15 also assisted a Nicholas Blackman ’13 goal late in the first half to open scoring. This goal was followed by one from the Minutemen, who tied the game shortly after halftime.

In varsity news, GSB’s five teams swept their competition. A highlight of the day, the varsity girls’ soccer team advanced in the Somerset County Tournament with a 2-1 win. Girls’ tennis beat Rutgers Prep 5-0 for its fifth consecutive victory, boys’ soccer earned a 6-0 shutout over South Hunterdon, and cross country earned a resounding victory over Rutgers Prep, taking the first five spots in both the boys’ and girls’ races.

Varsity Teams Take Prep B Championships

From top: (L. to r.) Kelly Staples ‘14 and Kathryn Bednarsky ‘14 of GSB’s 2012 varsity girls’ soccer team; (l. to r.) Ryan McCluskey ‘14, Craig Pilla ‘14, Kimberly Calabrese ‘14, Scoey Young ‘13, Sam Weisman ‘14, Justin Durcan ’14, Jordan Taylor ‘14, Raena Dell’ermo ‘14 and James Reiner ‘14; John and Karen Kaiser, parents to JV girls’ tennis player Devon Kaiser ‘15, look on at their daughter’s match on Homecoming/Family Day; (l. to r.) Corinne Chowansky ‘15, Jamie Goetchius ‘15 and Soraya Falcao ‘15; Brendan Dougher ‘14 of the Gill St. Bernard’s “Blue Crew.”

GILL ST. BERNARD’S SCHOOL 2012-13 ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Richard Emmitt (P’02) Vice President Amanda Wentworth-Ping (P’13)

Gill St. Bernard’s varsity girls’ cross country team successfully defended last year’s Prep B Championship by earning its second consecutive title at Blair Academy on November 13. While Dana Klein ’14 (19:10) finished runner-up at the meet, also helping to defeat Villa Walsh Academy by just two points were Emily Quinn ’13 (19:19) and Alexandria Benoit ’14 (19:58) who took third and fourth place, respectively. Top-20

Donna Bednarsky P ’08, ’10, ’14, ’17 Ann Marie Blackman P ’13, ’16 Lisa Dadouris P ’07, ’17 Jill Gateman P ’17, ’20 Maria Leonhard P ’13, ’16 Jemi McCluskey P ’14 Jill Moriarty P ’11, ’14, ’16, ’22

Tina Noll P ’10, ’12, ’16 Karen Orazietti P ’16, ’18, ’21 Linda Osterman P ’13 David Pasquale Marianne Saladino P ’14, ’16 Concession Manager Marianne Dougher P ’14

From top: varsity girls’ cross country 2012 Prep B Champions; varsity boys’ soccer 2012 Prep B Champions.

Ex-Officio Members

Headmaster Sid Rowell P ’08, ’14 Director of External Affairs James Diverio P ’11, ’15

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

Lindabury-Thomas Trustee Award

While serving as current president of the Athletic Booster Club, Emmitt and his wife Judy of Oldwick, N.J., still play has played an instrumental role in the an active role in supporting the GSB growth and advancement of the GSB community. Aside from their continued athletic program in particular. “I knew interest in athletics, the Emmitts have Gill St. Bernard’s could provide not just also supported the GSB Friends of the an experience for higher level sports Additional contributions made by Arts program, and remain committed achievement, but an opportunity,” Emmitt include his encouragement to raising endowment for need-based said Emmitt, who established and for GSB to join the New Jersey State financial aid. “What truly amazes me is spearheaded the Athletic Booster Club Interscholastic Athletic Association that Dick has continued to do all of these in 2003—aimed at supporting and (NJSIAA), and helping to identify things—giving his gifts of time, talent promoting all Gill St. Bernard’s teams— solutions to the scheduling and and funded the initial creation of a sports budgetary concerns that come along with and treasure—long after Meg graduated information director position within the new athletic initiatives. “It’s inspiring to in 2002,” said Headmaster Sid Rowell. “This is one remarkable family and a very Athletic Department. see someone envision a future and then special man.” actually make it happen,” said Meg. “I As a former soccer, track, basketball could not be more proud.” and softball participant with the GSB continued from page 1

Knights, Emmitt’s daughter Meg ’02 shares her father’s enthusiasm for athletics. “He was my biggest supporter and fan when I was an athlete at GSB,” Meg, now in her 20s, said. “My dad was at every important game and meet.”

GSB Announces New Winter Coaches The Gill St. Bernard’s Athletic Department proudly announced Jared Hammond and John Slackman as two new varsity head coaches for the 2012-13 winter season. Hammond joined GSB’s varsity fencing program from Haverford College in Haverford, Pa., where he was an assistant coach. Prior to coaching, Hammond also fenced for both Bernards High School and later New York University (NYU), where he earned much success for himself and his teams. Shortly after being named a two-time allstate fencer and leading his high school team to its first-ever NJSIAA State Championship, Hammond went on to become a two-season captain at NYU where he still remains an all-time record holder in career wins. While attending NYU, Hammond also trained with national and Olympic coaches to become a Division III national champion in sabre.

While Slackman may be new to the Gill St. Bernard’s varsity girls’ basketball program, he is no stranger to the school’s Athletic Center where he has served as assistant coach to its nationally recognized boys’ program since 2010. Aside from also serving as manager and head coach of a girls AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball clinic in Whippany, N.J., additional experience held by Slackman—beyond the high school level—includes assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh (Bradford). Slackman holds a master’s in sports administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pittsburgh (Bradford), where he was also a member of its Division III men’s basketball team. Head Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach John Slackman.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Please note the following abbreviations used throughout this newsletter: NJISAA – New Jersey Independent School Athletic Association, divided into “Prep A” and “Prep B” NJSIAA – New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, in which GSB competes in the Non Public B Division 3

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

Somerset County Soccer Tournament Wrap-Up

Varsity Boys Soccer A Stellar Season

Gill St. Bernard’s 2012 varsity soccer teams joined 15 area schools in the Somerset County Tournament (SCT) this fall. After earning a first round bye in this year’s tournament, GSB’s #5 seeded varsity boys’ soccer team hosted #13 seeded Rutgers Prep, on October 6. With both teams off to a slow start on the field, it was Timothy DiBisceglie ’13 of GSB who shattered the game’s scoreless tie 57 minutes into the match. His was followed by a second goal from Tyler Kwaak ’16 shortly after. Both were assisted by Bijan Eizadkhah ’13 and Justin Durcan ’14. Goalkeeper Michael Renna ’13 made three saves in the 2-0 shutout over Rutgers. The boys then faced the SCT’s #4 seed—Bridgewater-Raritan—in a quarterfinal match held October 13. Despite great effort, the Knights fell 1-0 following a goal scored by the opposition mid-way through the first half. This marked the team’s second loss of the season. Similar to its counterpart, GSB’s #10 seeded varsity girls’ soccer team also played Rutgers Prep during its opening match at this year’s SCT—this time at the school’s Homecoming/ Family Day on September 29. Down 1-0 early in the first half, forward Amanda Greenberg ’13 evened the score when she chipped in an assist from defenseman Brianne Adornetto ’13 at the 21-minute mark. It was Kaila Gong ’15, however, who sealed the Knights’ 2-1 victory, as she scored off a cross from Greenberg with just five minutes left in regulation. Despite sincere effort from each Knight on the playing field during round two of the SCT, the girls fell to #7 seeded Hillsborough High School on October 6.

GSB’s 2012 varsity girls’ soccer team with Head Coach Jonna DeFalco (m.).

Varsity boys’ soccer team named Non Public B State Sectional Champion following a double overtime shootout win over Trenton Catholic in the finals.

Aside from participating in the Somerset County Tournament and Prep B Championships, GSB’s varsity boys’ soccer team also finished 11-0-1 in the Skyland Conference to earn this year’s Valley Division crown and went on to win the Non Public B South Sectional championship. The boys began their rise to the top of the Skyland Conference—for the second time since joining in 2009—with a 6-0 shutout over Belvidere High School on September 6. Contributing to the team’s victory at its home-opener was Timothy DiBisceglie ’13 with one goal and two assists, Bijan Eizadkhah ’13 and Jae Wong ’13 with one goal and one assist each, and Jack Lowe ’15, James Reiner ’14 and Nicholas Baker ’13 with one goal apiece. Through the help of GSB defenders Reiner, Ryan Osterman ’13, Stark Kirby ’13, Craig Pilla ’14 and Matthew Decker ’16, goalkeeper Michael Renna ’13 managed to post back-to-back shutouts over Skyland Conference rivals Manville and North Plainfield High School the following week. Leading the boys in their 8-0 victory against Manville were Eizadkhah (two assists) and Reiner with two goals each. Additional goals were earned by Wong (two assists), Lowe, Justin Durcan ’14 and Baker. Meanwhile at North Plainfield, Eizadkhah scored twice and added an assist, Wong had one goal and one assist, DiBisceglie and Lowe earned one goal apiece, and Durcan chipped in two assists. Following a 3-0 shutout at Rutgers Prep, the boys then traveled to South Hunterdon High School, where they garnered a 6-1 win on September 19. This was soon followed by a 4-0 shutout over Bound Brook High School one week later. Setting pace for the Knights on offense in the Bound Brook match-up were Theophilus Timothy ’13 and Eizadkhah with one goal and one assist apiece. They were followed by Durcan and Reiner, who also scored goals off assists from Pilla and Daniel Sivolella ’16. The boys then went on to once again defeat South Hunterdon—this time 6-0—as Durcan had two goals and two assists, and Eizadkhah, Nicholas Blackman ’13, Wong and Renna each scored for the Knights. The winning continued with three more shutouts over Skyland Conference opponents from Manville, North Plainfield and Bernards in mid-October. While the Knights also saw a 5-2 win over Bound Brook High School—with goals from DiBisceglie (two goals, two assists), Eizadkhah, Reiner and Jordan Schreer ’15—on October 23, it was not until October 26 that the boys ultimately earned the Valley Division crown following a 5-0 victory over Belvidere High School. This fine win marked Renna’s 12th shutout of the season between the posts. Continued on page 5

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

Soccer Coach DeFalco Earns 100th Career Win

Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team Posts Winning Season

Congratulations to Gill St. Bernard’s Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach Jonna DeFalco, who earned her 100th career win with the Knights following an 8-0 victory over Benedictine Academy on November 9, 2012.

The varsity girls’ soccer team kicked-off its 2012 season with a come-from-behind win over defending division champion Belvidere High School on September 6.

Now in her ninth year with Gill St. Bernard’s, additional positions held by DeFalco at GSB include middle school basketball and softball coach, as well as middle school health teacher and early childhood physical education assistant. According to DeFalco, earning her 100th win could not have come at a better time, as this fall proved a very sentimental season. “I have been coaching most of the juniors and seniors on this year’s team since they were in fifth and sixth grade—both here at GSB and at the club soccer level,” said DeFalco. “So being able to share this milestone with them, as upperclassmen, is truly special.” DeFalco, who holds a M.Ed. in athletic counseling from Springfield College in Massachusetts, also earned a B.A. in psychology from Rowan University, where she played Division III intercollegiate soccer. “I am thrilled for Jonna,” said Director of Athletics David Pasquale. “She’s worked tirelessly on behalf of our student-athletes over the last nine years. The girls’ soccer program has grown under her leadership and for that we are most grateful.”

Trailing 2-0 with six minutes remaining in regulation, it was Elizabeth Prins ’13 who fed Caitlin Stefanick ’13 for a goal. Kathryn Bednarsky ’14 then tied the game one minute later. Following a cross from Brianne Adornetto ’13 in double overtime, Bednarsky once again scored—this time to secure a 3-2 comeback victory. With a record of 2-0-0 after defeating Manville High School several days later, the girls then hosted North Plainfield High School Varsity girls’ soccer teammate Amanda Greenberg ‘13. in a 2-2 draw that included two goals from Bednarsky and one assist from Amanda Greenberg ’13 on September 13. Despite suffering back-to-back losses against Bernards High School and Governor Livingston, the girls returned to their winning ways with a 5-1 victory over Rutgers Prep, and later an 8-1 win against Bound Brook High School. While Greenberg, Adornetto and Bednarsky scored two goals apiece over Bound Brook, Kaila Gong ’15 also had one goal and one assist, and Elizabeth Todd ’15 scored once in the Skyland Conference match-up. The girls then advanced to the second round of the Somerset County Tournament (SCT) following yet another victory over Rutgers Prep—this time at Gill St. Bernard’s Homecoming/Family Day on September 29. Continued on page 8

Varsity Boys’ Soccer continued from page 4

Shortly after taking the Valley Division crown, GSB began state tournament play with a 4-0 win over Moorestown Friends School on November 13. This came as a result of stellar defense from Osterman, Baker, Kirby and Decker. Eizadkhah (two), Reiner and Blackman all scored goals to pace the offense. The winning continued on November 15, when Renna earned a school record 15th shutout of the season during the Non Public B South Sectional semifinals against Wildwood Catholic. Also contributing to this 4-0 victory was Eizadkhah with two goals and one assist, DiBisceglie who added two assists, and Durcan who chipped in with one assist to help the Knights advance to the sectional finals for the second straight year. GSB next earned a dramatic double overtime shootout win over Trenton Catholic in the Non Public B South Sectional finals on November 19. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Eizadkhah tied the score in the 52nd minute, and the game remained a 1-1 draw through regulation and two overtime periods. In the shootout, Eizadkhah, Wong, Lowe, DiBisceglie and Durcan all converted penalty kicks, while Renna earned the victory in goal to send the Knights to their second consecutive state final. The boys fell 2-0 to North champion Montclair Kimberley Academy during the Non Public B State Championships on November 26 at The College of New Jersey, closing out their 2012 season with a final record of 20-3-1.

Head Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach Jonna DeFalco earns her 100th career win with the Knights this fall.

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

JV Girls’ Soccer Team Develops Unique Bond

JV Boys’ Soccer Has Banner Year The junior varsity boys’ soccer team had a banner year, as several returning players and a new crop of skilled freshmen contributed to a final record of 10 wins and five losses. Equally impressive was the team’s 60 goals scored—22 of which came from freshman Daniel Sivolella who set a new JV record. Sivolella clinched this milestone during a 2-0 win over Belvidere High School in the team’s final game of the season on October 26. “No matter whether a seasoned club soccer athlete or player simply looking for a meaningful Upper School soccer experience, all were eager to learn and GSB’s junior varsity soccer player and all-time perform in a fun leading scorer Danny Sivolella ‘16 with 22 goals. yet competitive environment where the team could thrive as a whole,” said Head Coach Vin Ricciardi.

Jane O’Connor ’16 of the JV girls’ soccer team.

GSB’s junior varsity girls’ soccer team earned a 6-5 winning season thanks, in large part, to the dedication and camaraderie demonstrated throughout each contest.

According to Head Coach Cassandra Murphy, the girls played with their hearts, supported each other both on and off the field, and were determined to give 100 percent no matter what the score of each game. “It was great to see how well the girls played together on the field,” said Murphy. “Although a coach, oftentimes, will not see chemistry off the field as well, that was not the case for this team.” With wins that came not only from hard work, but also from a close bond formed between all players, the Knights continued to improve with each passing game and could constantly be heard complimenting their fellow teammates from the sidelines. Overall the season was a great success and the girls look forward to next fall. Until then, they will continue to better their skills— together—in the off-season.

Middle School Boys’ Soccer Team Earns Winning Season Using such mottos as resilience and unselfishness to make it through the fall, Gill St. Bernard’s Middle School boys’ 7/8 soccer team turned—what started off as a losing season—around, to finish with a record of 6-5. Despite three early season losses, a very tough schedule and several mid-season injuries, the boys managed to win six of their final eight games. Guiding the team throughout victories against opponents from Morristown-Beard School, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Rutgers Prep and more were several newcomers including Maxwell Aunger ’17 and Pierce Norwood ’18. Joining Aunger and Norwood were goal-scorers Armeen Mozaffari ’17, Steven Bednarsky ’17, Charles Papandreou ’17, William Orazietti ’18, Jacob Udoff ’17, Cameron Gateman ’17 and Troy Pilla ’17. All in all, goals were scored by nine different players throughout the season, while seven recorded at least one assist. Keeping GSB’s opponents at bay throughout each match-up was goalkeeper Alexander Roch ’18, who recorded three shutouts over six games. He was backed by defenseman Ryan Fucci ’17. Additionally, two sixth grade student-athletes—Lucas Horn and Andrew Moglianesi—were called to the bench mid-season, and quickly earned spots in the starting line-up.

Middle School Girls’ Soccer Team Prepares for Upper School Program It was a season of learning for GSB’s 16-member Middle School girls’ soccer team, which faced talented opponents from schools like Morristown-Beard, Montclair Kimberley Academy and more between September 19 and October 25. While the Knights were led in scoring by Erica Phiansunthon ’17 and Nicole Castrucci ’17, also stepping up to contribute a

goal of her own was sixth grader Catelyn Woelfle. Woelfle was joined by numerous athletes from the Class of 2019, who were asked to help out periodically throughout the season. With additional players Julia Castrucci ’17 and Cameron Campbell ’17 leading Gill St. Bernard’s on offense, Ava Diggins ’18, Amanda Lazar ’18 and Sophie Morris ’17 also aided goalkeepers Jenna Donatiello ’17 and Nour Marzouk ’18 on defense. 6

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

Varsity Girls’ Tennis Team Named Non Public B South Sectional Champion

Krishna Patel ’16 Reigns Queen of the Court

Remains Undefeated in Skyland Conference

First singles player Krishna Patel ’16 made big strides this varsity tennis season, garnering much success at several major events throughout the fall. Beginning with the Somerset County Girls Tennis Tournament this September, Patel advanced to the finals after defeating Jessica Pil of Rutgers Prep and Cheryl Li of Bridgewater-Raritan on September 22.

Gill St. Bernard’s varsity girls’ tennis team earned its second consecutive Raritan Division Championship, going undefeated in conference play, and secured its first Non Public B South Sectional Championship since 2007. Beginning with back-to-back victories over North Hunterdon and Franklin High School, the Knights concluded their 2012 season with a record of 12-5. Clinching their division championship in the final match of the season—once again versus Franklin High School—were Krishna Patel ’16, Bethany Valentine ’13 and Lydia Dey ’13 at singles. Partners Kendall Dunn ’14 and Laura Wood ’13, as well as Jacqueline Fuentes ’16 and Carolyn Najarian ’16 also won in doubles positions. Also making positive contributions while battling an injury throughout the season was Stephanie Fuentes ’14. As the #3 seed in this fall’s NJSIAA Non Public B South Tournament, the girls received a first round bye and later competed against the tournament’s #6 seed—Our Lady of Mercy (OLM)—in a quarterfinal match on October 9. Following a 5-0 victory over OLM, the girls then traveled to the #2-seeded Wardlaw-Hartridge School for a semifinal match on October 11. Despite holding an undefeated 8-0 regular-season record, the Wardlaw-Hartridge Rams were unable to overcome the Gill St. Bernard’s Knights as they secured a 4-1 win. The varsity girls’ tennis team next hosted Moorestown Friends School in the NJSIAA Non Public B South State Tournament finals on October 15. Aside from earning a 4-1 victory over the tournament’s #4-seed, Gill St. Bernard’s also captured a Non Public B South Sectional Championship. This fine achievement joins a sectional title obtained by the varsity boys’ tennis team this spring 2012.

GSB’s 2012 varsity girls’ tennis team with Coach Ken Palumbo (l.) and Coach Jen Rogers (m.).

Shortly after, Patel then garnered wins over Maddie Graziani of Woodbury (7-6, 6-2) and Chloma Gabriel of Piscataway (6-3, 6-0) at the NJSIAA State Singles Tournament in Mercer County Park on October 7. On October 21, Patel was the only GSB Knight to also advance to the final round of the Prep B Tournament, which was played at Edison’s Garden State Tennis Center on October 22. Patel played a crucial role in helping her team secure regular-season victories over opponents from North Hunterdon High School, Franklin High School and Rutgers Prep as well. With this fall 2012 representing her first year on the varsity girls’ tennis squad, Patel eagerly awaits the opportunity to further her success over the next three seasons. “It’s exciting to know that I still have three more years to get even better,” said Patel, who began her tennis career at age six.

Varsity girls’ tennis Krishna Patel ‘16.

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

JV Girls’ Tennis Team Shows Vast Improvement Earns Numerous Victories in Mid-Season Rematches Beginning this August, the junior varsity girls’ tennis team diligently prepared for what would become a winning season on the courts. Earning a final record of 11-6, the girls displayed vast improvement with each passing contest. Such improvement was especially evident during matches against Bernards High School and Voorhees High School in late September. While both Bernards and Voorhees had defeated GSB at the start of the season, the Knights quickly recovered to earn wins of their own at their next meeting with these two talented opponents.

GSB’s 2012 JV girls’ tennis team with Head Coach Chris Walsh (l.).

The girls also demonstrated one of their best performances of the season while hosting Blair Academy in another exciting victory on October 17. Leading Gill St. Bernard’s in the 3-2 win over Blair were third doubles teammates Alexandra Baker ’15 and Isabelle Demontigny ’15, who earned a total of 11 wins and four losses throughout the season. They were backed by GSB’s second doubles team comprised of co-captains Cricket Treanor ’14 and Emily Carmosino ’14, who saw 11 wins and six losses on the courts this fall. Also serving as co-captains were Emma Clayton ’14 and Hannah Geldzahler ’14.

Varsity Girls’ Soccer continued from page 5

The team quickly recovered with wins over both Manville High School and North Plainfield the following week. While Renee Turner ’16 garnered the first goal of her varsity career during the 2-0 victory at North Plainfield, Adornetto, Kelly Staples ’14, Kelly Stefanick ’13 and Kim Lindquist ’13 played stellar defense to help goalkeeper Jessica Ferrando ’13 earn her second shutout in just one week. The girls’ success continued as they finished off their regular season with an 8-0 victory over Bound Brook on October 23. While Bednarsky and Andrea Jablonskyj ’14 netted two goals apiece, Kelly Stefanick, Carly Meyers ’14, Jane O’Connor ’16 and Lindquist also found the back of the net once each. The girls also advanced in the Non Public B State Tournament with an 8-0 win over Benedictine Academy behind four goals from Bednarsky, two by Margot Chowansky ’13 and one each by Adornetto and Turner. With 2012 signifying a milestone year for several players, Bednarsky not only became GSB’s 11th alltime leading scorer with 36 career goals for the Knights, but also became Gill St. Bernard’s 6th all-time leader in assists, with 30. The varsity girls’ soccer team’s fourth straight winning season (9-7-1) ended with a loss to Mater Dei High School in the NJSIAA Sectional quarterfinals on November 14.

A Monumental Season Middle School Girls’ Tennis Team Defeats MKA for First Time in Six Years Gill St. Bernard’s Middle School girls’ 7/8 tennis team concluded its 2012 season with a winning record of 5-3-1. Among those victories secured throughout the fall was a 3-2 win over Montclair Kimberley Academy’s (MKA) “A” team, which has defeated GSB for the past six years. Sealing the girls’ monumental victory against MKA on October 18 were first doubles partners Charlotte Walsh ’17 and Sophie Parker ’18. While it was Parker who garnered the highest winning percentage (75 percent) on the courts this season, not far behind were teammates Juliette Jacobson ’17, Kaitlyn Sleyster ’17, Genevieve Fischer ’17 and Walsh. Also leading the Knights throughout an exciting contest with MKA were Larisa Drzik ’17 and Jacobson at first and second singles. Other tight matches experienced by both Drzik and Jacobson this season included an 8-6 loss by Drzik to Newark Academy, and an 8-6 upset for Jacobson against a very talented opponent from Princeton Day School. 8

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

Varsity Cross Country Takes Big Strides this Season It was a phenomenal season for Gill St. Bernard’s varsity cross country program, as both the boys’ and girls’ squads saw unprecedented success from several runners throughout the fall. GSB’s varsity cross country program kickedoff 2012-13 at the Randolph Invitational at Randolph High School on September 7. Leading the boys squad to an overall eighth place finish were Patrik Andersen ’15

(17:48.5) and Brian Steck ’13 (17:48.7) who took 13th and 14th for the day. Svetozar Brankov ’13 (19:17), Jacob Kruger ’15 (20:01) and Peter Johnson ’15 (20:22) rounded out the Knights’ top-five scorers in the contest. As last year’s Non Public B State Champions, GSB’s varsity girls also sprinted to the top during their race, in which they placed third overall and first amongst all New Jersey high schools. Setting stride for the girls’ team were Dana Klein ’14 (21:13), Emily Quinn ’13 (21:14), Alexandria Benoit ’14 (21:15), Emily Iannaconi ’13 (22:13), Madeline Quinn ’15 (22:41) and Rebecca Richardson ’14 (22:53), who each posted top-25 finishes. The teams continued their winning ways at the Shore Coaches’ Invitational approximately one month later. Taking sixth overall for GSB’s boys’ squad at Holmdel Park was Andersen with a time of 17:35. He was followed by teammates Johnson (19:21), Jacob Kruger (19:49), Edward Fischer ’15 (20:40), Andrew Provines ’13 (20:49) and Andrew Wible ’15 (21:21). Aside from securing an overall third place team finish in the girls’ “Varsity F” race on October 6, the girls’ squad also saw top-10 finishes from Klein who took fourth place in 19:57, Benoit who placed seventh in 20:20, and Emily Quinn who crossed the line 10th in 21:20. Posting fine times in the boys’ freshmen 3200-meter race were Sam Zimmer (13:29), Mycroft Zimmerman (15:03), Michael Iannaconi (15:07), Paul Kruger (17:24) and Sebastian Pampalone (17:54). Morgan Margolis (15:03) and Sahara Ensley (15:04) also took fifth and sixth in the girls’ 3200-meter event, respectively. Taking first amongst a field of 53 participants at the 11-team GSB Cross Country Invite on October 10 was Klein who crossed the line in 18:49 to help Gill St. Bernard’s to defend last year’s overall first place team finish just ahead of opponents from Blair Academy and Lawrenceville Prep. Rounding out GSB’s top-five female runners were Emily Quinn with a fifth place finish in 20:15, Benoit who placed seventh in 20:39, Madeline Quinn taking 11th place in 21:23 and Ensley crossing the line 19th in 22:09. Once again leading the boys’ squad—this time to an overall fourth place finish—was Andersen, who crossed the line fourth in 17:15. A top-10 finish was also seen by Steck (17:32). Meanwhile, Jacob Kruger (18:54), Provines (19:51) and Fischer (20:22) competed. The team continued its season at the Somerset County Championships at Pleasant Valley Park on October 17. Leading the boys to an overall 10th place finish—the fastest combined time ever acquired by any GSB boys team at this event—were Andersen (16:51), Steck (18:06), Johnson (18:43), Jacob Kruger (18:45), Provines (19:54), Wible (20:16) and Fischer (20:39). The team’s freshmen runners also did well, as they earned an overall eighth place finish. Conquering the two-mile course were runners Iannaconi (13:39), William Metzler ’16 (13:41), Zimmerman (13:45), Paul Kruger (13:57) and Pampalone (14:31). The fastest time (19:16) ever had by any GSB girl while running in Pleasant Valley Park, Klein finished ninth out of a field of 92 at the Somerset County Girls Championships. Along with Klein, Emily Quinn (20:30), Benoit (20:33), Madeline Quinn (20:58), Ensley (21:54) and Natalia Sachs ’13 (23:40) also contributed to an overall sixth place finish. Meanwhile, posting a top-10 finish in the freshman girls’ race was Margolis who placed second in a time of 13:55—just seven seconds short of breaking the all-time course

From top: (L. to r.) Dana Klein ’14, Emily Quinn ’13 and Alexandria Benoit ’14 of the fall 2012 varsity cross country program; (f. to b.) Brian Steck ’13 and Patrik Andersen ’15 of GSB’s varsity cross country team.

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GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012 Varsity Cross Country continued from page 9

record—and Amanda Leonhard ’16 who took ninth in 15:18, respectively. Continuing their season at the Skyland Conference Championships in Natirar Park on October 25, Steck (16:50) was the first to cross the line for GSB’s boys’ squad, as he finished 32nd out of a field of 135. Similar to Steck, Klein placed 14th against a field of 141 in the girls’ race, finishing with a time of 18:54. Also placing among the top third were Benoit (28th/19:41) and Emily Quinn (45th/20:28). Meanwhile, leading the Knights to an overall team championship in the girls’ freshman race were Ensley (21:13) and Margolis (21:34) who took first and second, respectively. Despite several days off due to Superstorm Sandy, GSB returned to the course for the Prep B Championships at Blair Academy on November 13. Guiding their squad to an overall fourth place finish were second and third place runners Steck (17:11) and Andersen (17:13), along with teammates Jacob Kruger (13th/18:22), Provines (27th/19:37) and Brankov (30th/19:54). Both Steck (17:17) and Andersen (17:26) also led the boys to a seventh place team result after posting top-10 times at the Non Public B Group Championships in Holmdel on November 17. These fine finishes earned both student-athletes a spot at the Meet of Champions (MOC) as well, where Steck and Andersen placed sixth and ninth in the “Group B” race. Shortly after earning its second consecutive Prep B Championship— during which it defeated Villa Walsh Academy by just two points—the varsity girls also finished second at the Non Public B Group Championships in Holmdel Park. The squad was led by Klein, Emily Quinn and Benoit throughout each race. This second place team finish at the Non Public B Group Championships also qualified the girls’ squad for the MOC, where it placed 13th amongst all New Jersey high schools.

Middle School Cross Country Sees Success at Annual Invites Aside from facing opponents such as Newark Academy and Far Hills Country Day School during regular-season meets throughout the fall, Gill St. Bernard’s Middle School cross country team also saw success at both the Pingry Invitational and the GSB Great Pumpkin Run this October. Leading the boys squad to an overall sixth place team finish at the 2012 Pingry Invite was Felix Andersen ’17, who completed the two-mile course in 11:03 and took gold over more than 100 competitors. Also representing GSB’s top-five male finishers Stephen Hassett ’17. were teammates Sean Foster ’17 (31st/12:57), Ryan Turse ’18 (53rd/13:50), Andrew Margolis ’20 (55th/13:53) and Theodore Lazar ’20 (63rd/14:06). From the girls’ squad—which placed seventh amongst 16 schools—top times were had by Lily Fischer ’19 (36th/15:21), Kennedy Hayes ’18 Continued on next page

Felix Andersen ’17 Breaks Middle School Course Record Congratulations to eighth grade cross country runner Felix Andersen, who earned a new Middle School course record of 9:31 during the Gill St. Bernard’s Great Pumpkin Run on October 26. It was Andersen’s older brother—Patrik ’15—who set the school’s previous course record of 9:39 in 2010. Felix Andersen also won the AAU Cross Country National Championships in Rock Hill, S.C., where he took first in the 13-to 14-year-old age group on December 1. 10

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

Middle School Cross Country continued from page 10

(45th/15:58), Nicole Johnson ’18 (52nd/17:19) and Catherine Quan-Shau ’18 (53rd/17:33). Also performing well in the day’s “reserve” race were Kierstyn Brown ’20, Samantha Bittman ’17, Rebecca Michaels ’20, Pierson Chan ’20, James Hersh ’20 and Connor Beard ’17. Success continued on October 26, as the Knights garnered 20 personal records while hosting GSB’s annual Great Pumpkin Run. Securing top-10 individual finishes amongst a field of 117 were Andersen, (first/9:31), Foster (second/10:32) and Turse (10th/10:56). Meanwhile, rounding out GSB’s top-five scorers were Lazar and Daniel Heo ’20 who helped the boys clinch an overall fifth place team finish over opponents from The Peck School and Rutgers Prep. The girls’ squad, which took an overall third place team finish just behind Kent Place and Central Middle School, saw fine times from Fischer (13th), Hayes (17th), Brown (19th), Johnson (29th) and Bittman (32nd).

Special Thanks to the 2012 Fall GSB Team Parents Linda Osterman P ’13 Coordinator of Upper School Team Parents

Barbara Quinn P ’13, ’15 Cross Country

Beth Greenberg P ’13 Girls’ Soccer

Jennifer Iannaconi P ’13, ’16 Cross Country

Jill Gateman P ’17, ’20 and Karen Orazietti P ’16, ’18, ’21 Coordinators of Middle School Team Parents

Christine Adornetto P ’13 Girls’ Soccer

Linda Klein P ’14 Cross Country

Lauren Campbell P ’17 7/8 Girls’ Soccer

Julie Hanafin P ’15 JV Girls’ Soccer

Jill Steck P ’13 Cross Country

Jill Gateman P ’17, ’20 7/8 Boys’ Soccer

Kathy DiBisceglie P ’13 Boys’ Soccer

Paul Steck P ’13 Cross Country

Eileen Maus P ’20, ’22 5/6 Coed Soccer

Ivy Wong P ’13 Boys’ Soccer

Claudia Dey P ’13 Girls’ Tennis

Michele Johnson P ’18, ’20 Cross Country

Kathleen Timothy P ’13 Boys’ Soccer

Julie Valentine P ’13, ’15 Girls’ Tennis

Susan Kasman P ’16 JV Boys’ Soccer

Amy Geldzahler P ’14 JV Girls’ Tennis

Team Parents are sponsored each season by the GSB Athletic Booster Club.

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012

GSB Varsity Athletics Recap (Fall 2012)

From top: Bijan Eizadkah ‘13; Patrik Andersen ‘15.

Varsity Boys’ Soccer Head Coach Anthony Bednarsky (20-3-1) Non Public B South Sectional Champions Prep B Champions Skyland Conference/Valley Division Champions Matthew Decker ’16 HM All-Prep B Timothy DiBisceglie ’13 1st Team All-County (Coaches Selection, Star Ledger) 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-State (Non Public) 2nd Team All-Area (Courier News) Justin Durcan ’14 2nd Team All-Conference 2nd Team All-Prep B Bijan Eizadkhah ’13 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-County (Coaches Selection) 2nd Team All-State (Non Public) 2nd Team All-County (Star Ledger) HM All-Area (Courier News)

Stark Kirby ’13 HM All-Conference Jack Lowe ’15 HM All-Conference Ryan Osterman ’13 2nd Team All-Conference 2nd Team All-Prep B HM All-County (Coaches Selection) HM All-Area (Courier News) James Reiner ’14 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-Prep B HM All-County (Coaches Selection) HM All-Area (Courier News) Michael Renna ’13 1st Team All-County (Coaches Selection, Star Ledger) 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-State (Non Public) 2nd Team All-Area (Courier News) Theophilus Timothy ’13 2nd Team All-Conference HM All-Prep B Jae Wong ’13 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-Prep B HM All-County (Coaches Selection) HM All-Area (Courier News)

Varsity Girls’ Soccer Head Coach Jonna DeFalco (9-7-1) Non Public B Sectional Quarterfinals Skyland Conference/Raritan Division Runners Up Brianne Adornetto ’13 2nd Team All-Conference Kathryn Bednarsky ’14 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-Prep B HM All-Area (Courier News) Margot Chowansky ’13 2nd Team All-Prep B Jessica Ferrando ’13 2nd Team All-Conference Kaila Gong ’15 HM All-Conference Amanda Greenberg ’13 2nd Team All-Prep B Andrea Jablonskyj ’14 1st Team All-Conference

Kim Lindquist ’13 2nd Team All-Conference Elizabeth Prins ’13 1st Team All-Conference Kelly Staples ’14 2nd Team All-Conference Kelly Stefanick ’13 1st Team All-Conference HM All-Prep B HM All-Area (Courier News)

Varsity Girls’ Tennis Head Coach Ken Palumbo (13-5) Non Public B South Sectional Champions Skyland Conference/Raritan Division Champions Lydia Dey ’13 1st Team All-Conference HM All-Prep B Kendall Dunn ’14 1st Team All-Conference 3rd Team All-County Jacqueline Fuentes ’16 1st Team All-Conference Stephanie Fuentes ’14 HM All-Conference Carolyn Najarian ’16 1st Team All-Conference Krishna Patel ’16 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-Area (Courier News) 1st Team All-County 2nd Team All-State (Non Public) 2nd Team All-Prep B Bethany Valentine ’13 2nd Team All-Conference Laura Wood ’13 1st Team All-Conference 3rd Team All-County

GSB BOOSTER CLUB ATHLETIC NEWS • FALL 2012 Varsity Boys’ Cross Country Head Coach David deWolfe (6-3)

Varsity Girls’ Cross Country Head Coach David deWolfe (7-3)

7th Place Non Public B Group Championships 4th Place Prep B Championships Skyland Conference/Valley Division Runners Up Brian Steck ’13 1st Team All-Prep B 1st Team All-Conference Patrik Andersen ’15 1st Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-County HM All-Conference Jacob Kruger ’15 2nd Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-Conference Andrew Provines ’13 HM All-Prep B 2nd Team All-Conference Svetozar Brankov ’13 HM All-Prep B Andrew Wible ’15 HM All-Conference

Non Public B State Runner Up Prep B Champions GSB Invite Champions Skyland Conference/Valley Division Runners Up Alexandria Benoit ’14 1st Team All-Prep B 1st Team All-Conference 2nd Team All-State (Non Public) Sahara Ensley ’16 2nd Team All-Prep B Emily Iannaconi ’13 HM All-Prep B HM All-Conference Dana Klein ’14 1st Team All-Prep B 1st Team All-Conference 1st Team All-State (Non Public) 1st Team All-County 2nd Team All-Area (Courier News) Emily Quinn ’13 1st Team All-Prep B 2nd Team All-State (Non Public) 2nd Team All-Conference Madeline Quinn ’15 HM All-Conference Rebecca Richardson ’14 2nd Team All-Prep B Natalia Sachs ’13 HM All-Prep B

From top: Kendall Dunn ‘14; Kathryn Bednarsky ‘14.